500 runners expected as Dry January 10k fun run returns to Milton Keynes
Around 500 runners are expected to descend on Willen Lake on Sunday 1 February as the Dry January® 10k returns to Milton Keynes for a second year, marking the end of the month in which millions of people in the UK take a 31-day break from alcohol.
Following its successful debut in 2025, which saw 300 runners take on the stunning 10k and 5k routes around Willen Lake, the 2026 Dry January® 10k is on track to welcome 500 participants this year.
Open to all levels, from novice runners to PB chasers, as well as prams and furry friends, the event is a celebration of the Dry January® challenge, with participants and supporters highlighting the fitness, health and wellbeing benefits many people experience through changing their relationship with alcohol in January and beyond.
The event village will bring a vibrant party atmosphere, with a live DJ and energetic group warm-up, before runners make their way round the accessible lakeside course on tarmac and gravel paths. Finishers will also get to sample some great alcohol-free alternatives from the challenge’s official 2026 partners including Lucky Saint alcohol-free beer, wonky fruit infused sparkling waters DASH, Counter Culture Kombucha and Belvoir Mocktails. Participants will receive a free Alcohol Change UK Dry January® challenge t-shirt/vest for training and race day, as well as chip timing, goodie bags and finisher medals on completion.
For those who can't be there in person, a virtual sign-up option allows participants from around the world to join in on the fun for a truly inclusive event. The 2025 event raised more than £11,000 to support Alcohol Change UK’s work to reduce alcohol harm and help people change their drinking habits, including through its free year-round Try Dry® app.
Residents of Milton Keynes have access to a discounted entry fee of £25 (usual price £60) for non-fundraising entries with the code MKLOCAL26.
To find out more and sign up to take part, visit https://dryjanuary10k2026.eventbrite.co.uk.
Watch the 2025 Dry January 10k video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUgRgGpaI6Q
Gillian & Kevin Silverthorn's story
Married couple Gillan and Kevin Silverthorn ran the 2025 Dry January® 10k to support Alcohol Change UK after Gillian transformed her relationship with alcohol. They return for the 2026 event to help raise awareness about the harm caused by alcohol and how changing our drinking habits can have such a positive effect.
Gillian said: “I spent years trying to cut down on alcohol, but it always crept back up. I felt paralysing anxiety after drinking and was worried I was becoming physically dependent. So, for the first time I reached out to Kevin for help. Being honest and accountable to somebody helped, but it certainly wasn’t easy at first. I’ve now been alcohol-free for more than three years and never want to go back to drinking. My confidence has returned, and I love waking up each morning.”
It's not just individuals who are affected by alcohol harm, but those around them. Kevin added: “I'd known for many years that Gill had a problematic relationship with alcohol but was never sure what to do to help apart from offer support. She's a strong, independent woman, so I wasn't about treating her like a child. I never knew how bad it was for her until she was literally sobbing ‘help me’. I think opening up to me was a major turning point for her. Over three years later and she's a much happier and healthier person without the booze and our relationship has never been better.”
Gillian started running just before her 40th birthday after seeing a doctor about breathlessness. “They told me there was nothing wrong with me and I was just unfit. At first, I couldn’t run from one lamp post to the next but started to enjoy the freedom and mental health benefits of running. Fast forward a few years and I’ve done several races including a couple of London Marathons and an ultra-marathon in Africa.”
“I’m lucky enough that I changed my relationship with alcohol in time, but many are still struggling, so supporting this cause is so important to me. Alcohol Change UK’s work to reduce alcohol harm is desperately needed. After I opened up, friends shared concerns about their own drinking.”
Michael Singh’s story
Michael has run the previous two editions of the Dry January® 10k and will be joining us again in 2026 to make it a hattrick. He hasn’t always been a runner or teetotal, but he’s found they both complement each other and suit his new lifestyle.
“When I was a drinker, I couldn’t think of anything worse than spending a Sunday morning going for a run. I used to scorn and look down on those weirdos that I would see running, doing yoga, cycling, or doing any kind of physical exercise religiously. I hated the idea that could actually be me. And I was more than satisfied living the terribly unhealthy life of binge eating, binge smoking and binge drinking. Fast forward five years, and I’ve become the very thing that I hated. And boy oh boy, does it feel good! Life has completely turned on its head for the better, and I am so grateful to have changed and transformed into someone putting their physical and mental health first as opposed to seeking the bottle.
“Instead of spending weekends in the pub or in bed, I’m spending them exercising, and raising awareness and money for Alcohol Change UK, the charity behind the Dry January® challenge. My body has never felt so good, I’ve never been in better shape, and I’ve gone from hating my reflection in the mirror, to actually being proud of my body. I became the person that I never wanted to be. And I’m so happy that I did. I can’t wait for the next run!”